The Princess and the Knight
by Hildebrant
Summary: A Series of drabble fics detailing events in the lives of Mai Tokiha and Yuuichi Tate. They may range from humorous, to serious, to whatever I feel like writing about. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

I decided to try my hand at the always loved drabble fics. These ones will soley focus on Mai and Yuuichi. The only coupling in this fandom that I like. If anyone out there doesn't like this pairing, you're more than welcome to click the back button and go read another story on this page. But this drabble and all of the others I have planned are for the fans of Mai and Yuuichi, this is for you guys.

**Mama Said**

Mama said there'll be days like this,

There'll be days like this my Mama said

And then she said someone will look at me

like I'm looking at you one day,

then I might find

I don't want it any old way

The Shirelles, Mama Said

Yuuichi Tate looked on as his brother in law Takumi Tokiha worked away at concocting a dish consisting of tofu ice cream and pickles for his pregnant wife Akira, whom was reading over a martial arts magazine in one hand while getting alot of use out of a small excercise tool that when squeezed together the user's grip was strengthened. That alone made Yuuichi flinch in thinking how how when the time came to hold her hand during their baby's birth, Takumi's hand would be little more than a pile of flesh and dust that still hung off of his arm. That however was yet to come and at the moment cooking something would have been much more preferable to what Yuuichi was doing at the moment, namely rubbing the sore feet of his own pregnant wife, Mai Tate, formerly Tokiha, formerly the HiME that controlled flame and the dragon/phoenix hybrid Kagutsuchi and once upon a time formerly a slight nemesis of his considering how rough of a start they had gotten off on. Those days were long since gone and Yuuichi himself couln't be happier.

"Not so hard dummy!" Mai yelled at Yuuichi as he had unfortunately rubbed just a bit too hard.

"Sorry, guess I wasn't paying attention all that well" Yuuichi said, apologizing to his wife. 'Looks like those old days are back again' Yuuichi thought to himself as his wife berated him for his not quite so gentleness with her feet. The first thing he had ever noticed with the woman he would one day marry was her breasts, covered in a soaking wet t-shirt after having given a equally soaking wet girl CPR from almost drowning. She hadn't forgiven him for that act either, that had come on the night of their honeymoon where he was greeted with several glimpses of her bare chest. Said honeymoon was also what had led the both of them up to this moment. Six months earlier had preceeded it with Mai developing quite the bump that all of her fellow girlfriends loved fawning over and asking her how far along she was with the baby.

Yuuichi himself would never admit it out loud, rather in private with her that he too was excited to become a father. He himself had hoped for a girl, as he had heard a story once from one of his relatives that strong men raise daughters, but if he were to be the father to a boy then he would love it all just the same.

Yuuichi's thoughts were shattered by the sound of Akira's mouth uttering the sounds of disgust at the taste of pickles and tofu ice cream.

"Takumi this is awful. It tastes just plain nasty!" Akira shouted. 'You don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that' Yuuichi thought to himself. On more than one occasion his tendency to utter smart mouthed remarks at the wrong occasion had gotten him either a soup ladle upside his head or a trip to the couch for his place to sleep for the rest of the night. Even if he were to just mutter them under his breath, his lovely wife would hear it. So to keep himself from finally being thrown out of the house for his tongue getting the better of his brain, he had opted to just think his latest smart mouth remarks to himself.

"But honey its what you said you wanted, you've been talking about it for the past couple of hours so I made it for you" Takumi said, hoping that his efforts wouldn't be wasted.

"I was just saying I'd like some, I never said I wanted any of it to eat!" Akira said with a bit of venom in her voice, all of it directed at her husband.

"I'm sorry honey, I just thought that you'd want something to eat, and decided to make you this as a meal" Takumi said to his beloved wife. 'Here it comes, hook, line, and sinker' Yuuichi thought to himself at Takumi's winning combination to get his wife seemingly under his thumb. Big, puppy dog eyes, meak, almost childishly cute tone of voice and she was putty in his hands. Watching her take the bowl of ice cream back from him, she began to take a few experimental bites and soon found herself enjoying the taste of it. Yuuichi still wasn't able to deduce how much of it was her grinning and bearing it and how much of it was her genuinely enjoying it through the weird taste buds she had developed through being pregnant.

"I'm sorry Takumi, I guess I'm feeling moody from being carrying around the twins for so long that its affected my reasoning" Akira said apologizing to her husband. Said husband wrapped his arms around her and uttered words of sympathy to her to show that there were no hard feelings.

"Why can't you be more sympathetic like Takumi is with Akira's feelings dummy?" Mai said to Yuuichi angrily.

'She wants me to be more like her little brother? I'm not even gonna touch upon how creepy that sounds' Yuuichi thought to himself at Mai's choice of words, still if he didn't answer soon he'd either be on the couch for the night or he'd be the one eating tofu ice cream and pickles. Neither choice sounded all that appealing to him.

"I'm sorry honey, I'll do my best to be a little more sensitive to how you feel and your condition" Yuuichi said as best he could to Mai as he leaned in and planted a kiss on the top of his wife's forehead. He soon let his lips drift down to her right eyelid and her left eyelid. His next trip was to the tip of her nose, until he finally let his lips meet hers in one of the many kisses they had shared since their days following the Carnival and their courtship. A kiss that still felt brand new and warm inside to both of them. The kiss itself was so passionate to them that they both found themselves shifting their heads to better let the intensity of the kiss continue to flow on and last. The ritual would have lasted until the two of them were both out of breath until something unique happened.

"Oh! Oh there it is!" Mai shouted as she broke away from the kiss. "There it is again" She said as her right hand went to her swollen belly.

"What? What's going on?" Yuuichi asked.

"I just felt the baby kick, for the first time!" Mai shouted happily as her smile grew and to Yuuuichi, the radiance of the room began to grow as well. They say that when women are pregnant, they tend to glow. Science states that its due to blood pressure increasing up to a good fifty percent, but at the moment, Yuuichi could have sworn Mai was radiating with a light that could only be comparable to the light of a fireplace on a cold winter's evening, or that of the evening sun shining off of a piece of gold. It was just such a glow that Yuuichi saw blessed upon his beautiful wife's features.

Instinctively Yuuichi placed his hand onto Mai's belly and he too felt it. The feeling of a faint movement coming from deep within his wife's stomach. The feeling of the life the both of them had created was reacting, it was alive. Yuuichi's hand stayed where it was, until Mai's hand rested atop of it, and she soon began to fill the living room with the sounds of the children's lullaby, "Hush Little Baby". Everyone had agreed that Mai was a beautiful singer and she wasn't ashamed to let them hear her belt out how much she loved it on Karaoke nights with her friends back in high school and sometimes during her girl's nights out with her friends from either work or from her old high school days.

The soft humming continued on with Mai continuing to sing to her unborn child until she looked on and smiled as her husband let his lips rest on her belly, kissing it and letting their baby know that its parents couldn't wait to greet it with open arms on the day it was born.

"Yuuichi. I know I've been moody alot and, I've said some things to you that I shouldn't have but I just want you to know that no matter what I love you and I couldn't think of a better person to spend the rest of my life with, and I couldn't think of a better person to be the father of my baby" Mai said to Yuuichi, clearly trying to apologize for her constantly shifting behavior due to her mood swings in the ever changing stages of pregnancy.

Yuuichi could only bring himself to smile at this and sat up and looked at his wife.  
"Hey you don't have to apologize for it. I never minded you teasing me on the ferry, too much anyways. I never minded you sticking your tongue out at me when we first found out we'd be in the same classroom as each other, not a whole lot anyways, and I didn't mind it when you talked down to me back when you were working in that diner either, though I still would have liked to have seen a smile from you back then" Yuuichi said. His tirade was stopped when Mai quickly gripped the bottom of his right ear and tugged.

"Way to ruin the mood, dummy" Mai said with a smirk and a small tick developing under one of her eyes. Lightly batting away her fingers from his ear, Yuuichi leaned in and left a kiss on Mai's lips. "But in all seriousness, I couldn't be happier with the woman I married and the one I'll spend the rest of my days with and will bear me many more children to come in the near future" Yuuichi said with a slight smile on his face.  
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Mai asked, deciding to test her husband's resolve.

"You bet I will be. I'm not going to let you do this alone, I'm going to be here for you and our baby through thick and through thin, now and forever" Yuuichi said to Mai.

"Promise?" Mai asked as she stuck out her pinky to Yuuichi. He responded by smiling and interlocking it with hers and shaking it.

"Promise" Was his lone response, and all she needed to hear to know that he was with her and would be with her, now and forever.

"Good Yuuichi, I'm glad to hear it. Now go over there and fix me up a batch of that Tofu Ice Cream and extra pickles"

"Yes dear, just don't make me eat it" Yuuichi said as he retreated into the kitchen to fix up his wife's snack.

While making his wife's somewhat nauseating treat, Yuuichi thought about how the past few months had been spent making more concoctions like this one, his wife's mood swings and threats came at the most random times imaginable. He had barely gotten a wink of sleep due to her tossing and turning in bed, The many, many hours of shopping for baby clothes and throwing in the added misery of going with Mai to shop for her own clothes, and hoping that the newest addition to her wardrobe wouldn't be the one that she asked him if she looked fat in.

But despite it all, Yuuichi had developed a fondess for those strange and annoying events that had been his life since Mai had been carrying his child. So fond in fact that he had found that he wouldn't change a thing nor would he have them come to him any differently, and not from the woman he had and will always love forevermore.

Well thats it for now, thank you for reading and please leave some comments in the review below.


	2. Nothing to Fear

**Nothing to Fear**

**Well here's the next drabble for Mai and Yuuichi. This one has me exploring Mai's little phobia of spiders which is only slightly mentioned in both the anime and the manga.**

** Once again, all for the fans of Mai and Yuuichi. This ones for you guys and I hope you enjoy.**

_**"**__The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"_

_ Franklin Delano Roosevelt_

Yuuichi had found out many things about Mai during their courtship together back on Fuuka island. How she had worked extremely hard to pay for her little brother's operation for a better heart. How she loved singing Karaoke with her friends, and even dressing up in unusual outfits during the songs, much to Natsuki's chagrin. He had learned of her ability to cook up a four star meal using only a few simple ingredients. But the one thing that was coming back to haunt him at the moment was Mai's arachnophobia, or fear of spiders. He had learned of it when during a rather eventful school festival where she, Reito and Takumi had gone with him to retrieve a batch of chairs that he had joked about seeing a spider on her back.

Now that they were done with High School, Yuuichi was bringing her back to his home in Tokyo to meet his parents and have a vacation from Fuuka in general. He had thrown out the suggestion of taking her to a local amusement park that he himself had gone to many times in his youth. However her curiousity had gotten the better of her when she had wanted to go on the minecart ride with him, mentioning that the darkened areas might make for some good, romantic spots. Yuuichi didn't have it in him to warn her that the ride was notoriously creepy to those who weren't used to such things as red lights in the place of the eyes on the various fake animals flashing ominously in the background. The sounds of bats screeching overhead and what looked like a skeletal cowboy with guns drawn and giving the most sinister looking grin the ride's artists could conjur up also contributed to the atmosphere.

Yuuichi looked on and saw Mai with half opened eyes peering around any corners that the ride turned, her hands gripping Yuuichi's arm in an almost vicelike grip, nearly cutting off all circulation to it and making it dead from the bicep down.

"Next time let's just go on the Ferris wheel or one of those two seater things on the merry go round" Mai half whispered, half cried. She herself could have sworn she had seen many, many small things crawling around, that weren't part of the ride itself.

"I find it kind of odd that you get creeped out by a few bugs and yet when you were, back "there" you faced off against creepier things than this on an almost daily basis" Yuuichi whispered back. He had hoped that the people who owned the park had taken out something from the ride that had actually creeped him out in his younger days, if only to spare his beloved girlfriend a week of nightmares.

"Yeah well most of the time when I fought them it was with Kagutsuchi there to fry them, now I'm alone, in a dark cave, on a rickety old mine cart that stopped being operational and safe years ago, and on top of these creepy red eyes, I'm seeing god knows what crawling around in the dark. How the heck can you go on these things and not get terrified?" Mai asked of her boyfriend's easygoing nature in the face of all of the creepy things that had popped up on the ride.

"Oh I got plenty scared by this thing when I was younger. Heck it wasn't even the creepy rides that got to me, it was the rollercoasters that went for what felt like miles up in the air and then went flying down at breakneck speeds. That scared me the most back then" Yuuichi confided to his girlfriend.

"So how did you get over it all?" Mai asked, hoping that his secret would be revealed and she herself could learn it and master it.

"I don't really know, it all just got so fake after awhile, its like seeing something that scares you the first time, and then it just stops being scary because it just happens the same way over and over again that you become numb to it all and the scares just stop feeling scary, if that makes any sense" Yuuichi said to her.

It did make some sense. To Yuuichi any scare could get old when it happened over and over again. It was also something she would have liked to happened to her more often but she wasn't exactly the type to let the scares keep on coming till she wasn't scared of them anymore, though if it meant being able to be around him more and not seem like such a scaredy cat, then she'd be more than willing to try and overcome her fears for his sake.

Mai's thoughts however were broken when the ride came to a complete stop, and a sudden rustling noise above her alerted her to the prescence of a spider larger than any other in existence. Each one of its legs had to be at least three feet long, if not longer. Its head slightly bigger than a basketball and its Abdomen was at least three or four feet around. But what terrified Mai the most, was that it was practically right on top of her, leaving her with very little breathing room. She quickly and fearfully wrapped her arms around Yuuichi's waste and attempted to burry her head in his chest to block out the sight of the world's largest fake spider above her.

Yuuichi's earlier fears had come back to haunt him, and the giant spider was still here and still terrifying everyone in sight, or at least those with a bad case of arachnophobia like his beloved girlfriend. Quickly he wrapped his arms around her, shieding her eyes from the sight of the giant spider.

"It's okay Mai, it's okay. It won't hurt you, it won't. It's okay, it's going back up, it's okay" Yuuichi said in order to assuade Mai's fears and to comfort her while the giant arachnid ascended back up into the rafters, where it would descend down onto another batch of foolish mortals. The rest of the ride continued on, still in darkness but not filled with frights or scares. That suited Yuuichi just fine, as he had no idea how much more Mai could take from the ride's built in surprises.

X~*~X

It was now evening and the sun was beginning to set and bring on the dark of the night for all park goers. That did little to dampen any moods as the various old fashioned lamp posts were turned on and the various outdoor rides were lit up with various light bulbs were turned on for the tracks of the coasters and bumper cars.

The lights were not doing anything to brighten Mai's spirits however, as she was still beside Yuuichi with a gloomy look on her face. They were currently seated at a table outside of a small snack area where Yuuichi had bought a slice of pizza for the both of them in hopes of being able to cheer her up. So far though he hadn't been blessed with much good luck.

"Mai, I just want to say I'm sorry. I should have said something about all of this. I even knew there was a giant spider in the ride, but I didn't say anything. So if you want to be upset about anything, it's having an idiot like me as a boyfriend" Yuuichi had meant every word that he had said, even if it was going to give him one hell of a scolding from Mai in the future, but it wouldn't do any good to lie to her about all of this either. The silence between them seem to last for an eternity before Mai let one of her hands slide over to rest atop of Yuuichi's

"Yuuichi, are you ashamed of me?" Mai asked. This had thrown Yuuichi completely for a loop. He had expected her to be furious and halfway into pounding his skull in for not telling her about the spider but, here she was asking him if he was ashamed of her being too afraid of being on the ride the entire time.

Deciding to ease her worries, Yuuichi spoke. "Mai. I could never be ashamed of you. I love everything about you. You work hard for others, you're a terrific cook, you always see things through to the end. Being afraid of a spider isn't something to hate you for. Besides, nobody's perfect. I'm proof of that" Yuuichi said to her.

"Don't go beating yourself up, or else I'll do it to you myself" Mai said with a smirk at her boyfriend's decision to tear into himself.

"That's my girl" Yuuichi said as he leaned in and let his lips rest on Mai's cheek.

Soon the slices of pizza were devoured and the two teens made their way over to the fountain and took in the sight of the park's most beautiful spectacle. It was a long, rectangular shaped pool of water with six water jets lined up that shot straight up into the air at a preset number of times, and when it was lit up at night like it was at the moment. It was said to be even more beautiful.

"This is a really nice place Yuuichi. Thank you for bringing me along" Mai said to Yuuichi as she rested her head on his shoulder. He responded by wrapping his arm around her own shoulders, bringing her in closer.

"Its not over yet, in fact the best part is just about to begin" Yuuichi said as he checked his watch.

"Oh?" was Mai's only response for him. Her questions were answered when the night sky above her was soon filled with the sights of well over a dozen fireworks exploding and filling the air with bright colors. The shouts of happiness and joy excitedly came from the mouths of the many people watching the fireworks from down below.

"Wow, this is even better than the fireworks from that one time at the school festival" Mai said, recounting how the day at the festival had ended with her, Yuuichi and a few other people watching the fireworks. Now it was just her, and the boy she had fallen in love with.

The fireworks continued much to the delight of the people below, but for the time being, Mai and Yuuichi were sharing a tender kiss that had in their minds been the perfect way to close off an evening that had began in fear, but ended in love.

** Well that one's come to an end. The ride that Mai and Yuuichi were on was based off of a now long since removed dark ride at Kennywood amusement park, as were some of the locations that Mai and Yuuichi went to. **

** Well that's that and leave a review if you can and tune in for the next chapter.**


	3. A Walk Down The Aisle Pt 1 Mai

**A Walk Down The Aisle (PT. 1)  
Mai**

**Back again to explore the relationship between Mai and Yuuichi. This time its the big day and Mai is worried about getting married to Yuuichi and whether or not she'll be ready to be his wife and the many other thoughts on her mind on the way down the aisle. Well read on and enjoy**

_**For my wedding, I don't want violins**_

_**Or sentimental songs about thick and thin**_

_**I want a moment of silence and a moment of prayer**_

_**For the love we'll need to make it in the world out there**_

_** Don Henley For My Wedding**_

** '**I'm here today in a chapel filled with all of my friends and family, and I'm about to walk to the end of the aisle where I'll marry the man I love. I'm about to collapse. That's how nervous I am about all of this. I'm walking down this aisle with Yuuichi's parents and relatives all around me, and I'm just here with Takumi, his wife Akira and their twin children. Do they all hate me for being alone, and not being here with any family members to walk me down the aisle or give me away? Do they think I'm unworthy to be the wife of their son and the mother of his children and in turn their Grandchildren?'

'Okay past the first row, coming up are Akane and Kazuya, and their four kids. My God how do those two take care of all of them without going insane?'

'Okay next up are Shizuru and Natsuki, nothing bad's happened yet, just them sitting there and Natsuki smiling at me, I think I saw her giving me a small thumbs up. That helps somewhat'

'Sister Yukariko is in the next row, alongside Ishigami sensei, their daughter, Miyu, Alyssa and Nao, apparently with Miyu's hand gripping her arm, pretty tightly too'

'Next is Reito, seated with Mikoto. I'm glad to see they're living together and are happy with the way things have turned out'

'Haruka and Yukino are both side by side. Yukino is keeping an eye on Haruka who is actually looking composed for once. I guess all the years post graduation have managed to mellow her out some'

'There's Akira and Takumi with the twins. I wonder how many kids Yuuichi and I will wind up having, if I can keep myself composed long enough to say those two words'

'Midori and Youko Sagisara managed to make it, and it looks like Midori is actually behaving as well, her usual method of having a good time is probably going to rear its head during the reception'

'The aisles have stopped. I've run out of pews to walk past. Its just me, the preacher and everyone's eyes are on me. Looking at me, expecting me to say it, to blurt it out like there's no big deal. I'm going to have a heart attack. I'm going to collapse I just know it it. I...I.I...Yuuichi'

'I don't know if he can see me behind this veil, but the look on his face is all I need to see to calm myself down. Its all I need to feel relaxed. All I need to do is be with him, and then I can say it.

"I do"

**Well here you have it, Mai's thoughts on how the wedding went down and the two words she said that put all of her fears to rest. Read and Review, Yuuichi's thoughts are up next**


	4. A Walk Down The Aisle Pt 2 Yuuichi

**A Walk Down The Aisle (PT. 2)**

**Yuuichi**

**As promised, here's the next part of the marriage of Yuuichi and Mai. This time it's from Yuuichi's point of view, and his hopes that Mai will make it down the aisle to be by his side, now and forever. Once again, all the fans of Mai and Yuuichi out there, this one and all of the remaining chapters in this series are for you. Read and Enjoy**

_**To want what I have**_

_**To take what I'm given with grace**_

_**For this I pray**_

_**On my wedding day**_

_**On my wedding day**_

_**Don Henley For My Wedding**_

'There she is. She's just come out through the doors. I quickly look to the side to see a woman playing the wedding march at the organ, but I can't hear it. Not over the sound of my own heart beating like crazy. I never thought I'd get wedding jitters on my own wedding day, I mean I died for christ's sakes and here I am nervous as hell over this. What am I saying? Of course I'd be nervous, if she hesitates even once and stops, then it's over. The day I've been looking forward to for so long, it's gone and over with. The woman I shouted to the skies saying that I loved won't be a part of my life, ever or at all.

They say real men aren't supposed to cry but, I think I will cry if she doesn't walk up that aisle and say those two words. I love her. I mean that, I stand by that, I swear by that and I don't want anyone else in my life. Not Shiho, not anyone else. I just want Mai by my side for the rest of my days. Natsuki and Shizuru got together, Takumi and Akira got together, Kazuya and Akane got together, please, don't let me be denied not on this day of all days.

'Okay she's past the first set of pews, all's good so far. Now she's moving past Akane and Kazuya, the both of them trying to keep their kids together and from misbehaving. I wonder how many she'll want to have with me one day? I promise to give her as many as she wants, even if its a dozen. Now she's past Shizuru and Natsuki. I think I saw Natsuki flash her a thumbs up. Thanks Natsuki, I'll never be able to thank you enough for being one of our most ardent supporters. May even more happiness be brought your way as well.

'Okay she's still walking, coming up on Sister Yukariko, Ishigami Sensei and their young daughter. beside them is Alyssa looking much older, and beside her is Miyu, holding Nao's arm, well at least she came'

'Good she's still coming, only a few more pews to go and she's stil coming, I think I can start relaxing. She's walking by Reito and Mikoto now. She didn't turn her head to look at either of them, but I did see Mikoto snap a picture of her, course she's been taking photos all day long, guess she really loves that camera'

'She's still coming, still walking, past a much more composed Haruka and a typically composed Yukino. I don't think I saw her even once make a sneer or utter a growl in the direction of Shizuru, that's some change that she's gone through over the years'

'Now she's by Takumi and Akira and their two kids. Those two can be quite the handful but they're hardly brats or heathens, and I can't wait for them to call me Uncle Yuuichi, to show that I truly am a part of their family now and not just Aunty Mai's boyfriend'

'Okay she made it past Takumi and Akira and now she's by Midori and Youko. From what Mai's told me Midori has been known to put away the drinks on many an occasion. Glad she's calmed down for now at any rate. Though the reception might be another story, hopefully we'll get there, Mai and myself'

'She's made it this far, past pews, past all of our friends and now she's standing here beside the priest and in front of myself. I can't believe she made it this far, its a miracle. She really loved me enough to go this far. God I love her. I'll never stop loving her either'

'She's here, and through the veil I can see her face looking relaxed and happy, and now so am I. Because I just heard those two wonderful words come out of her mouth, the same two wonderful words that I'm going to say any second now.

"I do"

**That's it for Yuuichi's P.O.V. fic. I had a good deal more fun working on this one and I hope you all had fun reading it. Once again, its only two simple words that needed to be said to set everyone's worries and fears aside. The next part returns to a more traditional storytelling method and has everyone gathering together for the reception, and the two lovebirds have their first conversation together as husband and wife. Read and Review**


	5. A Walk Down The Aisle Epilogue

**A Walk Down The Aisle **

**Epilogue**

**Well here's the final chapter of Mai and Yuuichi's wedding drabble fic. Its a bit different from the previous two as its a return to the original storytelling method. Anyways read on and review. **

_**So what makes us any different from all the others**_

_**Who have tried and failed before us**_

_**Maybe nothing, maybe nothing at all**_

_**But I pray we're the lucky ones; I pray we never fall**_

_** Don Henley **_

_** For My Wedding**_

The Afternoon sun hung proudly in the sky and shone its radiance down upon all, including the newlywed couple in the gazebo that overlooked a sprawling country field. Yuuichi stood and rested his arm against the entrance of the gazebo and took in the sight shining before him, alongside the girl who was once Mai Tokiha, now Mai Tate. The fact that they were now married to one another both surprised him and elated him. He was finally married to what most people would consider his high school sweetheart

Had they been there when the two of them had first met they'd have thought differently as the two of them got off on the wrong foot and were bickering with one another the entire time they were on the ferry. Yuuichi still hadn't forgotten that smirk she made when she was imitating Shiho. It was actually kind of charming when he thought back to it, even if she was still just getting a laugh at his expense.

But times quickly changed and they made a form of peace that while filled with a few smart mouthed remarks, was still filled with love and affection for one another, enough that they were willing to walk down the aisle and into each other's lives.

Setting himself down beside his bride, Yuuichi opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Well, here we are. Husband and Wife. What a ride it's been" He said as he wrapped his arm around his new bride. He smiled as she leaned in to cuddle into him and rest her head on his shoulder while her hand gripped his in a tight squeeze.

"Yeah, though I have to confess something Yuuichi" Mai said to her new husband, gripping his hand a little bit harder, hoping he wouldn't think less of her for what she was about to say.

"The entire time I was walking down the aisle, I was nervous as hell. I was afraid that your friends and your family members were going to hate me or whisper about why I don't have a father to walk me down the aisle. Or why am I only here with Takumi and Akira. It was completely nerve wracking for me." Mai confessed.

Letting his other arm wrap around Mai in a comforting hug, Yuuichi sought to comfort his wife in her time of need.

"Hey don't let anything they say get to you. If they had said anything like that I'd have told them off myself and we'd have eloped. The last thing I want is anyone making the woman I love feel uncomfortable, even if they are family" Yuuichi said, meaning every word.

That helped to set Mai's mind at ease knowing that Yuuichi would have gone that far for her, and done so much even if it meant being abandoned by his own family for someone like her.

"While we're on the topic of confessing, there's something I need to tell you" Yuuichi said.

"The entire time I stood at the altar, and I saw you walking down the aisle. I was nervous. I was afraid" It was now out in the open and he had told his wife that he too had his doubts and fears during the wedding.

"What were you so nervous about?" Mai asked, curious as to what her new husband would have been so scared of, aside from memorizing his lines.

"I was scared of losing you, that you were just going to get scared and run off or that you decided that you didn't love me this much or that you weren't ready to get married to me. Each step you took forward was a welcome relief. I was only able to truly relax when you finally made it to the altar and you said those two words. Those two beautiful words" Yuuichi said, his voice trailing off.

Mai was utterly speechless. Her husband, the one who charged in to block a sword strike from Reito Kanzaki, fueled with the power of the Obsidian Lord, after having just come back to life, and to later on scream to the skies that he loved her, was afraid that she would leave him or not want to get married to him. She had to set things straight.

"Yuuichi how could you say that? I would never leave you at the altar or not want to marry you. I love you. If you want me to shout it out loud like you did that one day when you said you loved me then I'll do it, but I would never leave you or think of it. You were there for me when I needed you to be, and I'll be there for you now and forever" Mai finished with her own plea for Yuuichi to understand how much she loved him. She loved him, flaws and all, and that would never change.

In that moment, Yuuichi didn't utter a single word. He instead leaned in, and let his lips find his wife's. A deep kiss was had between the two of them. Fears and worries were put to rest, skeletons were no longer in their closets, but at the moment the two people sharing that very kiss were finally, truly happy to know that they were whole. They were complete now that they had both confessed and let the other know of the worries they both had while walking up the aisle.

Once the two of them separated, the silence was broken by some very familiar voices.

"Mai, Yuuichi! There you are" Looking over Mai and Yuuichi saw that it was indeed Takumi and Akira heading over with their twin children Kaede and Ayane. Twin girls that both loved to mimic their mother and her past days as a practitioner of shinobi arts, even if it was just to play around. One of their favorite games to play with Yuuichi was hide and seek, a game he usually lost due to them being too good at it. Yuuichi was more than certain that Akira had been tutoring them in the better places to hide. Those same twin terrors quickly ran to the gazebo and both of them wrapped their arms around the newlyweds; Ayane around Yuuichi's neck and Kaede around Mai's, letting the both of them hold a Tokiha twin.

"Well hello you two, its great to see the two of you here as well" Mai said as she tightly wrapped her arms around Ayane's back and supported her and began her walk over to her brother and his wife.

"It's great to see you too my little Shinobi girl" Yuuichi said as he to hefted up Kaede and began carrying her over to Takumi and Akira.

Finally arriving to where Takumi and Akira waited, the two groups began to converse for the first time as two married couples.

"So Yuuichi, enjoying your status as a husband for the first time?" Takumi asked. He had been married to Akira for six years now and it had surprised him that it had taken his sister this long to get married to Yuuichi, but everyone has their own pace to go about things, even when it comes to getting married.

"Well I'll be sure to let you know when its been more long term but so far yes, yes I am" Yuuichi replied. He and Mai had been married to one another for a grand total of four hours and had managed to ease each other's minds over their own little guilt trips. Not a bad job for a couple that had gotten together after having argued and squabbled upon first meeting one another.

"Uncle Yuuichi, will you come and eat cake with us?" The words that came out of Kaede's mouth were the ones he had hoped to hear from the two of them for quite some time and they still sounded just as sweet. He had been called their uncle, he had finally been truly welcomed into their family, and all it had taken was months of playing hide and seek, getting stabbed with blunt kunai and watching one too much family friendly programming. Still it had been worth it to hear her say that.

"Sure thing honey, I'll be along and you can eat all the cake that you can eat, but you better hurry, Ms. Mikoto might have started without you and you know how much she can eat" Yuuichi said to Kaede.

With that Kaede hurriedly jumped into her father's arms and began to yell for him to hurry along before all of the cake was devoured by Mikoto. Taking her from Takumi, Akira lead her and her other daughter off into the direction of the buffet table.

Takumi was ready to join them when he walked back towards the direction of Yuuichi and Mai. "Mai why don't you go and make sure Akira and the girls get some cake before it all gets eaten? I wanted to talk with Yuuichi for a minute".

Mai immediately hoped that Yuuichi hadn't done anything to upset her brother at any point. Still he was now a grown man and was able to make his own decisions so she left to go and join her nieces and sister-in-law but not before leaving a kiss on Yuuichi's lips.

Now the only two remaining were Yuuichi and Takumi. Now related and bound by law as brothers. No longer were they both just students or Kouhai and Sempai. They were relatives, and Takumi opened his mouth to speak.

"It's been awhile since we both talked to one another about girls, I think it was when we were both heating the baths outside of your grandfather's shrine before that wedding took place wasn't it?" Takumi finished by posing a question to Yuuichi.

"You trying to run the speech you're going to give when Mai and myself are sitting up in front of everyone?" Yuuichi asked, curious to know where Takumi was going with this.

"Not really, I just wanted to look back on all the things that came before all of this. I don't remember you getting off on the right foot with Mai early on, you staring at her breasts in a soaking wet t-shirt and from what she told me, you staring up at them when they fell on the top of your head" Takumi said, referring back to a very chaotic day where they all met on a very unfortunate ferry.

"Yeah about that I, just want to say I'm real sorry for being such a creep back then" Yuuichi said as he adjusted his collar, clearly uneasy about where Takumi was going with all of this.

"But despite that, you did save my life on more than one occasion. You got me my pills back when Mai said she lost them in all of the confusion, I don't think I'd have been able to run around as much as I did before I got my new heart without them, and despite you being the cause of that hole in the floor, thanks for helping to get me out of the cave alive. I didn't have Akira or Mai at the time to act as protection" Takumi said thinking back to when they were being chased by an Orphan underground.

"Thanks, I think" Yuuichi said, not sure if he was being complimented or not.

"But from what I've heard, you actually turned out to become a better person from what Mai's told me. When she visited to see Akira when she had just had the kids she was always talking about you. How she was happy to have you in her life, how happy she was that you work so hard to keep the bills paid and how you still find time to listen to a lot of her problems, but the thing she says she's the most happy about, is how you always manage to make her smile. That means a lot to me too Yuuichi. It really does" Takumi said finishing up voicing his gratitude to Yuuichi.

"Death can change you and make you regret a lot of the things that happened, but second chances can change you as well. It makes you want to fix those regrets and make things right, while you still can" Yuuichi said as he looked down at his wedding ring. The golden, eighteen karat bond that signified his union to Mai.

"Yeah it does, I can relate to that and I'm glad that you have changed into the wonderful person that has made my sister the happiest that I've seen her in a long time. Thank you Yuuichi" Takumi said as he extended his hand to his brother-in-law.

Seeing no reason to worry, Yuuichi reached forward to grasp Takumi's hand, only have the younger Tokiha grasp his hand and wrap his arms around Yuuichi and whisper to him: "Welcome to the family, Bro"

Those were the second most wonderful words that he had heard that day not counting the ones Mai said at the Altar. The first being the sound of Kaede calling him Uncle Yuuichi, but now her father, his brother-in-law had just called him brother and considered him that as well. Today would be a day he'd never forget on top of all the others.

"Come on, let's get back to our wives, we got a cake that's ready to be cut and many hungry mouths ready to eat it" Takumi said as he patted Yuuichi on the shoulder and the both of them returned to the rest of the reception.

Once back, Yuuichi took his place beside Mai, assuring her that all would be well from now on and that Takumi was just welcoming him to the family. From that point on, the cake was cut, dances were had, gifts were exchanged, and happiness was all abound, but there was none more plentiful than between the two newlyweds of Mai and Yuuichi Tate.

Kouhai = Junior

Sempai = Senior

**Well that's that. Another drabble down, many many more to go. I got the names Ayane and Kaede from two well known female ninjas in the world of anime and video games. Kaede Nagase from Mahou Sensei Negima and Ayane from the Dead or Alive video game series. I really appreciate all the reviews I've gotten from regulars like F91 to new ones like KaraWasHere, and any that came before and will come in the future, keep em coming guys and thank you again. **


	6. Shout it Loud

**Shout it Out Loud**

**This is all we got now**

**(Scream until your heart stops)**

**Never gonna regret**

**(Watching every sunset)**

**We'll listen to your heartbeat**

**(All the love that we found)**

**LostProphets Rooftops**

It was a beautiful sunlit day on Fuuka island. The time was half past three, classes had just let out for the last time as May was fast and approaching, along with the end of the semester. Two students in particular, known to the rest of the faculty and to their friends as Mai Tokiha and Yuuichi Tate had left the building hand in hand and made their way up onto a trail to the woods on the island. The trail went up for a good ways, to an area that was just now starting to regain grass and vegetation. A sign that the damage from the final chaotic battle of the HiME's and the Obsidian Lord was finally beginning to fade away.

It was at the top of the hill that a wave of Nostalgia began to flow back into Mai.

"You know what's below this hill?" Mai asked as she rubbed the back of her thumb over the back Yuuichi's hand.

"Yeah I do, its where the final battle took place, Reito was possesed and was ready to kill you. That's not something you forget no matter how hard you try" Yuuichi said squeezing Mai's hand back in response.

"Well yeah there is that, but I was thinking back to something else that happened during that battle. Something that was both sweet, and reassuring" Mai said as she let go of Yuuichi's hand and walked over to the area that had brought about the moment of reflection and happiness.

At a loss at what his beloved girlfriend was talking about at first, it finally came back to Yuuichi. After tackling Mai to the ground in an attempt to avoid getting slashed by Reito's sword, he stood up to Reito and shouted to the skies that he loved her at the top of his lungs.

It was a moment he treasured as well. He had finally mustered up the courage to tell not only her but the world that he loved her, and at the top of his lungs no less.

"Yeah now its coming back to me. Can't believe I almost forgot it. Truth be told I thought I was kind of goofy for yelling it out like that" Yuuichi said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't think that. It was the best thing I heard when we were up there that day, it was also what gave me the courage to destroy the Obsidian Lord for good" Mai said smiling to Yuuichi. "Though there is one other thing had occured to me, I never got a chance to tell you how much, I love you" Mai said as she turned and walked over to the edge of the hillside that overlooked the land below, the inhabidants going about their daily lives, lives that were about to be shattered.

Taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes, Mai opened her mouth: "I LOVE YUUICHI!" Mai shouted to the sky and the people below just as her beloved boyfriend had done for her not too long ago. She herself hadn't taken into acount the fact that she was up on a hill and was currently falling backwards. It took only seconds for Yuuichi to hurry and run over to her and catch her as she fell.

He soon fell to one knee, holding his girlfriend Bridal Style.

Finally regaining her composure and throwing her arms around Yuuichi's neck, she whispered softly into his ear. "I always wanted to say that"

"I'm glad you said it sweetheart" Yuuichi replied happily at her saying those three words that she would never regret, and he would always love to hear over and over again.


	7. Another life, Another chance

** Its been awhile since I updated this fic and I hope to make up for that by having some more regular updates in the near future. This is the first part of a trilogy in my drabble series and I wanted to touch upon My Otome and how Yuuichi wasn't in it. I'm Not happy about this so I decided to do something about it. Anyways on with the fic.**

_**I guess I'll see you next lifetime**_

_**Already**_

_**I'm going to be there**_

_**I guess I'll see you next lifetime**_

_**I'm going to look for you**_

_**Erykah Badu**_

_**Next Lifetime**_

It was afternoon in Wind City and a parade was being held in honor of the arrival of prince Takumi. Celebrities weren't known for coming through very often so a small gathering was thrown in his honor to celebrate his arrival. The mood was festive and the crowd was happy with his presence. Amongst that crowd was that young prince's sister. Mai Tokiha. The former Otome of flame was in attendance to make sure she got a good look at her brother as he waved to the attendees and crowds before she welcomed him back accordingly later on when they met up again in private, by talking about embarrassing memories of one another and tender moments that they would both always treasure.

Takumi was set to arrive before her in a carriage with the windows down, with a guard on horseback on each side, each of them armed with a sword that was little more than decorative at best. The true threat to any of the prince's attackers came from not only Mai herself, but to the prince's trained bodyguard and romantic confidante, Akira, who was quietly moving about rooftops above the proceedings and keeping a loyal eye on the prince.

Mai watched as her brother and his group flanked him down the road, turning a curve and being welcomed in with raised cheers and claps from the happy townspeople. Mai wanted to be sure to wave hello to her beloved brother and be one of the first ones he saw. Looking on at the guards, decked out in armor from her country. One of them was raising up the visor of his helmet, and in that moment their eyes met. Eyes that met many, many, lifetimes ago.

The eyes of the knight on horseback met with the young red headed girl's. He had never met the girl for as long as he had been alive, but at that very moment he felt as though he had known her longer and more intimately than any other woman he had ever known. Images and moments of the two of them together began to play out before his very eyes.

He first met her on a ferry while she delivered mouth to mouth resuscitation on a young girl with dark hair. Another memory that sprouted up from his subconscious was talking with her in the rain, tears streaming down her cheek while he tried to chase after her to see what was wrong with her and why she was crying. The last memory to appear before him was him diving in front of her to keep her from being cut down by a sword wielded by a man wearing a black outfit. He rose up from his position on the ground and stood protectively in front of her and shouted at the man in black that he loved her, that he loved Mai.

'Mai' That name popped into his head when he thought of this young woman. As strange as it sounded, he suspected her name being Mai for whatever reason, it just popped into his head as soon as he saw her face, and the memories began to fly into his subconscious from out of nowhere.

Seeing as how he would have to depart soon and keep up with the rest of the escort group, the knight quickly picked a rose off of the lapel of his breastplate and handed it to the young woman and continued on with the others, not missing the gasping and shocked expressions from all of the other young women around the woman he had come to identify as Mai. He left her with one final smile and continued on down the street with the rest of his comrades in arms.

Mai accepted the rose from the young knight and smiled at him shyly, but kindly as well. A means to let him know that she was flattered and charmed by his sweet intentions.

Just as the young knight had unknowingly to her, been overwhelmed by visions of her from a time long, long ago, so too was she. She found herself thinking of the young man as well.

She thought to him bursting into a church where she was staring into the glowing lights of a creature that resembled a horse, she remembered him smiling as he faded away before her eyes in awash of green lights. Exploding and disappearing before their lips could meet. She walked off in a pain filled daze, crying the whole time.

Before she could shed those tears again in this time-line, she thought to a memory of a man in a black outfit quickly descending down on her with a sword drawn, when he should appear, a sword drawn as well, colliding with the man in black's own blade.

'Yuuichi' that name popped into her head the minute she laid eyes on his face. The same face that matched the young man from the past, and that was the name that she suspected the young man from the past had, and possibly even this one had.

Before she became an Otome, Mai was once told about the concepts of Soul-mates. People who were destined to be with one another from generation unto generation. Mai wasn't prepared to say that the two of them were soul-mates just yet, but something in the back of her mind was making her believe that the she and the young knight made it this far into a new generation for a reason. Maybe that reason was themselves.

They both parted soon after. The Knight and the Otome. Gone from the crowds and to their own places of rest and silence. The knight to his barracks, the Otome to the cat goddess that she shared lodging with.

The only thing different about this day were the thoughts now swimming in the minds of the two and how they now thinking of each other, and when they could see the other once again, just as they both did many times before that in another lifetime...

_**Even though we're miles apart we are each other's destiny...**_

_**Zero Seven Destiny**_

**Well that's it for my first foray into the world of My Otome. I'll try to have the next chapter posted soon. Read and review and tell me what you think**


	8. Final flight

**Final Flight**

**Well here is the long overdue second part to the Otome portion to my Mai/Yuuichi drabbles. This one deals with Mai and Yuuichi taking their relationship to the next level**

**One Year Later**

_**I feel so light**_

_**This is all I want to feel tonight**_

_**I feel so light**_

_**Tonight and the rest of my life **_

_**Nena Gordon - Tonight and the Rest of my Life**_

Mai looked on at the night sky from the window of her bedroom. The lone, luminescent orb that had always hung proudly in the sky since before man had even walked the earth. The same moon she had flown past when she regularly activated her Robe to use her powers of flame and flight. The same powers she never used much, nor had they ever been such a huge part of her life. She had only been forced to take on the powers for a royal in her country, a royal she was glad to be rid of. Especially since she had finally found someone that had gone missing from her life for so long.

Yuuichi. That had indeed been his name. He had approached her at her ramen cart the next day. It was awkward at first but the both of them addressed the other by their first names. A couple of Mai's regulars were surprised as they had never seen him around her cart before. Mai had explained that he was an old friend, which wasn't a total lie.

So from that point on Mai and Yuuichi met up numerous times for lunch at her stand or a dinner on him, as a treat for her. The first obstacle Mai had been worried about was how Mikoto would feel about Mai's time being taken up by a stranger. Her worries came to an end when Yuuichi had managed to sit down and talk with Mikoto. He talked with her about the past, about the present, and how he wanted to be a part of Mai's future. Mikoto was hesitant at first, but had seen just how much the two of them loved one another and relented.

Tonight was also a rare example in that tonight Mai would be sleeping with Yuuichi, sharing her body and soul with him.

However once she gave her body to him, her powers would be gone and lost forever. She'd no longer be able to take out a Slave or manipulate flames or even fly. Flying. That was the one and only thing she truly loved in regards to her powers. The ability to travel through the sky for as long as she saw fit. The flame manipulation was simply an added bonus.

She had tried to reassure herself that losing these abilities wouldn't be such a burden for her. She had never even wanted to be an Otome, never wanted to be manipulated and owned and controled by a royal for his sake alone. Being with Yuuichi tonight would finally erase all of that unwanted history from her life.

Still it couldn't hurt to feel the sky all around her one last time.

x~*~x

Yuuichi sat on the bed he had intended to share with Mai tonight. Their first time together in an intimate setting. Though for Yuuichi, it felt like he was reuniting with someone that he had lost somewhere along the way. They were together now and tonight would make it official. However Yuuichi was aware of what would happen if they did consumate the evening together, Mai's powers would dissapear forever, and leave her an ordinary citizen for good. Ordinary. Like she'd ever be happy with that. She had the control over the power of flame itself and the ability to fly. Who'd want to give that up just for a guy like him? These were the thoughts that were going through Yuuichi's mind at the moment and they were the ones dragging him down and convincing him that he wasn't wanted here, and that Mai wouldn't want to give up her powers.

Looking up from his gloomy reverie, Yuuichi saw what looked like a firey comet blaze high above the rooftops. Yuuichi had seen that particular flame many times before, only in the form of the woman he had grown to love over the course of the past few months. Yuuichi's hopes dashed in the one, lone moment and he was convinced that she had made up her mind to not go through with this.

Rising up from his place on the bed, Yuuichi turned to go to the door and make his way back home to the barracks with his fellow knights. His journey back home was interrupted when at the very moment he turned his head to look out the window while on his way to the door, the fireball that he knew was Mai, was coming straight at him.

The speed at which she was flying at him decreased until it was no more and she gently flew through the window, with her robe deactivating, leaving her clad in the white nightgown she had been wearing earlier that night. Yuuichi stood dumbfounded as she landed in his arms, resting there bridal style.

Yuuichi wound up spinning with Mai in his arms in an attempt to regain his balance and not drop the woman he loved to the ground. The two of them wound up falling back onto the bed, and their eyes met in that moment.

Once they had both regained their breath, Yuuichi spoke. "You sure know how to make an entrance" he said chuckling. Mai's response was a kiss on his lips and wrapping her arms around his neck and settling herself on top of him with her chin resting on his chest. Yuuichi then wrapped his arms around her to get them more comfortable, Yuuichi let his lips rest on Mai's forehead before letting his head fall back onto the pillow, fully aware of Mai sliding up until her lips were right beside his ear, allowing her to whisper into it. It was Yuuichi that had the first word before his girlfriend though. "I was afraid you weren't coming back" Yuuichi said, finally getting his worries off of his chest and letting his girlfriend know of the problem that had popped into his head over the last hour.

"What made you think that?" Mai asked, sitting up in bed, looking down at Yuuichi. Deciding that it was time to tell her or risk being driven crazy over guilt and shame, Yuuichi spoke.

"Its just that. You can control fire and you can do so much with it and, you can fly and fight off these giant monsters and all this other crazy stuff. I can't imagine you'd ever want to give all of that up, just so you can be a normal person like me" All of Yuuichi's fears and worries were out in the open, but they came to a halt when Mai's lips came to rest on his.

"For you, I'd gladly give them up. These powers, they haven't been that important to me for a long time. I was forced to get them to fight for somebody that I wasn't even attracted to. You are someone that is important to me. You were important to me back in the past, and you're important to me now, and I know you will be in the future. I love you Yuuichi, and nothing is going to change that" Mai said to Yuuichi, finally stating just how she really felt about him. She loved him enough to give up her powers and live a life of normalcy just as he had all of his life. Or as normal as one's life could get having been surrounded by women who could manipulate the molecular structure around them or even defy gravity.

Yuuichi however only cared about one woman. The same one he loved in a past life and the same one he was kissing at this very moment.

That night clothes were shed, passions were shown, and sleep was not had between the two lovers. An old life was coming to an end, and a new life was just beginning for two people who had loved once and will always love each other.

**Well there's part two and only one part left for the otome portion of this drabble fic and then I return to the HiME universe. Till then read and review and tell me what you think.**

_**I am ready for love**_

_**Why are you hiding from me**_

_**I'd quickly give my freedom**_

_**To be held in your captivity**_

_**INDIA ARIE  
Ready For Love**_


End file.
